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VOL. 2, NO. 17 MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS JUNE 12, 1963 Recruiting Opens For 10-15 New Astronauts

Application Is = TheFirstOfJuly

DeadlineThe NationalForAeronau-New i tics and Space Adminis- i tration will recruit ten to 15 new astronaut trainees this sunmmr,NASA an- nounced last week.

i,i Open to both civilian and - military vohmteers, the pro- grain hats a July 1 cut-off date forapplications.Militaryserv- ices, which will pre-screen their pil¢_ts, will have until July 15 to pass on to NASA their recommended applicants. Pilots selected will join the current astronaut pilot pool in October, based at MSC. x,Vith slight exceptions, selec- tion criteria are similar to those ?} used in the selection of nine manned space flight candi- dates chosen in 1962. To qual- if>' a candidate must: l. Be a United States citizen.

UP IN THE AIR, in more ways than one. The expressions of these three astronauts mirror the strangeness of their sensations as their feet rise from the 0, Have been bOrll after June floor of an Air Force C-135 during weightlessness orientation at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. The plane, specially padded inside, dives to gain 30, 1929, so that he does not speed, climbs sharply and dives again. At the top of the parabolic curve at the end of the climb, occupants experience about 60 seconds of weightless- re_tch his 34th birthday uilti] ness. Left to right are Astronauts Thomas Stafford, Frank Barman and James Lovell, three of the astronauts chosen last September for programs beyond Mercury. All nine of the "'new" astronauts got a chance to experience weightlessness in a four-day trip to Wrlght-Patterson April 22-25 when they were (Colltitlued on page 2) taken aloft in the special plane in groups of three. The nine also experimented with cl space manuevering unit, a back pack designed to propel them. MA-9 Problems On Reentry Center Operation Divisons Split

TracedThe malfunctionTothat Insulationcaused astronaut GordonBreakCooper to Into Two Groups In Reorganization manuall5 fly "l"aith 7'" durin_ reentry on MA-9 has been traced Manned Spacecraft Center Manager Martin A. Byrnes. \Valter C. Williams. He will to two connectors in an electrical amplifier. Tile txvo connectors last week announced a realign- The at{ice of Center Opera- also monitor business admin- are located in the amp cal (amplifier calibrator), where electrical ment of its administrative tions Manager has been elim- istration activities at MSC's si_mtls flora various spa¢.ccraft systems are converted into cam- organization, headed by Assist- inated. White Sands Resident Oflqce mamls, ant Director for Administration Byrnes will be responsible and at Cape Canaveral Opera- Thcsc commands activate power line to find a ground, \Veslev L. Hjornevik. for assuring that effective busi- tions. the hydro_c, peroxide jet causing a short circuit. The naajor change is the ness management service is Those divisions which for- thrusters in the automatic con- The inverters will not op- establishment of the position provided to those elements of mel'ly came under the Man- trol system to maintain proper crate in the event of such a of Xlanager for Missions and the Center reporting to Deputy' ager, Center Operations, have spacec.rat't position in relation malfunction in the circuit. A to the earth, post-flight examination of the Operations Support, occupied Director for Mission Require- now been realigned in two The spact,craft sensors in- inverters themselves showed by former Center Operations ments and Flight Operations (Continued on page2) c.lude the _,xrosc'opc and infra- them to be undamaged. red hori_'on scanners. Corrosion was found ill First, (he al)l)t'arallee of the _tIl(| around another electrical .'05,z panel light and later the cmmector through which some failure at the ac power from the of the .05g circuit passed. Pre- inverter signalled problems sence of the corrosion indi- to Astrommt Cotqlt'r. cated the possibility that mois- l)ctaih'd post-fli_htcxami- Curehad collectedin the area nation of the spacecraft circuit and resistance checks of the revealed the followin_ facts: current passing through the The inxcrter tloul)le has connector indicated changing })e('ll tl'_l{_'(' and early manned Gemini using a Gemini boilerplate, ing until a safi_ descent speed flights. The first manned flight Two additional tests using is reached, prevents excessive is scheduled for 1964. It will structural duplications of the loading on the canopy. Dis- be preceded by two or three Gemini spacecraft will finish reefing releases tht' restraining unmanned flights, the series, band, and allows the canopy Just completed were aseries Tests over the U. S. Navy's to blossom). Atter 22 seconds, of 20 development drops of Pacific Missile Range,PC. a single point release is fired the main and drogue para- Mugu, California (El Centro, to free the bridle which will chutes atE1Centro, California. California, will be used as an allow the spacecraft to rotate These tests checked out the alternate drop area) will be on a two-point suspension sv- deployment characteristics and made from a C-310 cargo-type stem and assume a "nose-up" the structural integrity of the aircraft. The boilerplate, position :35 degrees from the individual chutes, mounted on a sled within the horizontal. The qualification tests, sehe- aircraft, will be extracted from The 35-degree impact in- duled for completion in early the rear of the cargo compart- clination lowers the space- 1964, will check out the opera- rnent by an extraction chute, craft into the water on the tion of the recovery system, then separate from the sled "corner" of its heat shield, ap- A BOILERPLATE model of the three-man lunar spacecraft and "free fall' to about 12,000 preciably lessening the shock is shown being pl,',c®d in the dynamlc, test stand at the Mar- feet where the stabilization of landing impact. This method shall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. for ,', series of vibr,,- Reorganization parachute is separated and the of water landing also elimi- tion and mating tests. The Apollo will be tested with the S-IV (Continued from Page I) Gemini recovery system is hates the need for the impact Saturn upper stage until July. After those tests, the booster, or "armed". bag which was used for Mer- first stage, will be added to complete the /spacecraft new offices, the Off:ice of Ad- At 10,600 feet above water, cury spacecratt landings. configuration. Sawyer said thetests include simulationofflight ministrative Services, headed the sequencing will be initi- The parachute recovery sy- vibration to determine the resonance of the entire rocket and by Douglas R. Hendrickson, ated with the deployment of stem will be replaced later by SaturnspacecraftI--the. The commandtwo elementands ofservicethe Apomodulesllo to launchedwill be byused.the and the Office of Technical and the drogue parachutes. After a land landingsystem for which Engineering Services, headed the paraglider is now under by JosephV. Piland. development. Throughout b ll_t All ,endrickson was formerly Recruiting Opens manned Gemini flights, ejec- NASA As..s Conce] . Stu_tV deputy chief of Financial tion seats-which can be trig- Management Division. Piland (Continued from Page 1) gered by each astronaut indi- On Possible Lunar Base was assistanttothemanagerof vidually for a rapid escape . after June 30 of this year. from the spacecraft-will serve Proposals have been requested by NASA for a lunar base con- Divisions under Hendrick- 3. Be six feet or less in height, as the emergency back-up re- cept study. Purpose of the program is to provide detailed tech- son's Office of Administrative 4. Have earned a degree in covery system. nical data to determine if a lunar base should be developed. Services will include Office engineering or physical The study program will at- Services Division (formerly sciences. tempt to define a versatile Alabama Firm Has Administrative Services), Log- 5. Have acquired l,000 hours MA-9 Troubles lunar base system for use no earlier than the 1970's. The Low Bid On LUT's istics Division, and the Teeh- jet pilot time, or have attained nieal Information Division. experimental flight test status (Continued from Page 1) system nmst be capable of A Birmingham, Ala., firm Hendrickson will be re- through the Armed Forces, supporting a variety of scien- was announced last week as sponsible for the overall plan- NASA, or the aircraft industry, eluding the .05g circuit. Intro- tific missions under a wide the apparent low bidder to ning, direction coordination 6. Be recommended by his duction of small quantities of range of lunar conditions, build three launcher-umbil- and administration of logistics, present organization, moisture to the plug resulted The studies will COlleen- ical-towers (LUT) for the Sat- technical information, and ad- NASA also announced that in actuation of the .05g circuit Crate on the concept of an ex- urn V Moon rocket, ministrative support for all conversation will be begun as it had done during flight. pandable, modular base adapt- Ingalls Iron Works Co. sub- MSC activities, with representatives of nation's Thus, it is concluded that ac- able both to small outposts initted a proposal to build the Reporting to Piland as chief, scientific community with tuation of the .05g circuit mis- and to larger permanent in- LUTs for $11,225,368.85. Technical and Engineering regard to finding the earliest sion prol)ably resulted fl'Oln stallations housing up to 18 Theirs was the lowest of 10 Services will be the Facilities practicable ways in which effects of moisture in the con- men. proposals made to the Launch Division, Photographic Divi- scientists can be included in hector. The first study for which Operations Center. sion (formerly Photographic the Apollo mission. The iflverter and .05g trou- proposals are being solicited An award of contract is ex- Services), and Technical Serv- Compared to 1962 selection bles during the mission were will consider the general con- petted to be made this month, ices Division. A newly-created criteria, the maximum allow- traced to independent electri- cept of the complete base sys- The government's estimated division, to be called the Engi- able age has been reduced cal connectors that failed at tern. Within several weeks, ad- cost of the job was $1"2,636,- neering Division, will provide from 35, and certification as a different tilnes during .tim ditional studies will be initi- 140. engineering support services to test pilot, while still preferred, flight. There is no indication ated to examine in detail The bid specifications call MSC and will also report to is no longer mandatory, that the faihtres were con- three of the major elements for the three LUTs to be con- Piland. The age reduction is to in- netted other than the fact that of the base: the life support strutted within a period of Piland will be responsible sure a broad age spread in the the electrical insulation broke system, the nuclear power about 18 months. They will be for the overall direction of pilot pool. Average age of the down in both cases. plant, and the regenerative fabricated elsewhere but will technical support services re- original group of 7 astronauts is Correction of these prob- fuel system for surface vehi- be erected and checked out in quired by MSC and will effect 38; the second group, 34. lems will include tighter con- des. NASA'S Merritt Island Launch the neeessary coordination and In addition, successfulappli- trol of moisture within the Some months from now a Area, where the will planning of program effort to cants will have to be in excel- spacecnfft and an increase of number of other studies will be launched, assure that these services are lentphysiealandmentalcondi- the protection of the electrical be conducted to investigate Each LUT will weigh about responsive to MSC activity tion. connectors and other comport- .additional technical and oper- 6 million pounds and will tow- requirements on atimely basis. Applications are to be ad- eats from moisture. ational problems. A final er 426 feet above the ground. As in the past, five other dressed to the NASA Manned overall study will consoli- divisions will report directlyto Spacecraft Center, Personnel More than 6,000 people are date the data from the other The X-15 aircraft is a joint Assistant Director Hjornevik. Office, P. O. Box 18534, Hous- now employed at the NASA investigations and present a research project of the Air They are Management Analy- ton 1, Texas, Attn: John Cairl. Michoud Operations near New comprehensive picture of the Force, Navy, and the National sis, Procurement and Con- Civilian applications must be Orleans, La. where the Saturn lunar base together with its Aeronautics and Space Ad- tracts, Financial Management, postmarked no later than mid- I and Saturn V space boosters advantages and limitations, ministration. Personnel, and Security. night July 1, 1963. will be produced. SPACENEWSROUNDUP JUNE12, 1963 PAGE3

Apo 11o Mi ss ion Si mu 1ators Are ...... -_ ...... -+.... _ - - -: .... __-- =--_-_ ....: •.- ,-,, - Ordered For Houston And Cape __:--+<_?- =+ .....

Apolh_ mission trainers to put space-hound astronauts through z4 'f- ordersimulate,led for t,x',NASA,-week's Maturedtrips toSpacecraftthe moon Center.and hack ha,'e heen __=.' _ ! -,'"-_--'"'- '" /," '"t._ _ The lank l)ivis

ABORT TOWER is placed on top of simulated Apollo test pay- CONVAIR PLANT, near midtown San Diego and adjacent to Lindbergh Field--the municipal air- load. This boilerplate, dummy paylaad will be launched an port, encompasses three million square feet of company-owned laboratory and factory areas. first Little Joe II flight at White Sands and permit a true clleclc- This includes a seaplane test and overhaul facility on San Diego Bay near a Naval Air Station. out of the launch vehicle. The test is scheduled next month. Within 32 days the first Little During the past year the l)any of Mnerica uses existin_ Joe II flight-a vehicle quali- Little Joe II prograin, which is dies and ma(_.l'Jin,_,s. The col ficationtest-willtakeplaceat managed hy the Manned rugated skin is made on the the White Sands Missile Range Spacecraft Center and has l)een same folding machines used in New Mexico. consistently on schedule and to put "waves" in industrial Only one year ago last month on-or under-hudget, has siding and from dies similar to the National Aeronautics and been credited with a nmnber those used for patio )-Doling. Space Administration selected of "firsts:" The corrugat('d skin inher- General Dynamics/Convair to In November of 1962 Con- entlv increases the strength of design and manufacture the vair became the first Apollo the vehicle. The corrugatim_ Little Joe II launch vehicle, program contractor to put a acts as tlu, verticle support for The tightness of this sche- high-speed automatic PERT the vehicle, eliminating the dule for a completely new data transmission system in need for comhinatiol_ riveted launch vehicle - only 14 operation between its plant skin and steel stringers. The months from contract go-a- location and the Manned corrugated skin is riveted di- head to first flight-indicates Spacecraft Center. With direct rectly onto ring frames. , the importance of Little Joe computer-to-colnputer coin- The Little Joe 1I hnmch ve- II to the manned lunar land- munieation, Convair sends a hicle airframe consists of a ey- ing program, two-week program progress lindrical body and four fins. Little Joe II will be used to report to Houston in five rain- The airframe is produced in thrust the Apollo spacecraft utes. two sections: a t'orebody about on unmanned suborbital test In February of this year Con- 19 feet long and an afterhod,v flights. It will qualify the un- vair became the first major about 10 feet long. The four manned Apollo launch escape contractor fins, each about 50 square feet system and command module to receive a definitive con- in area, are spaced around the prior to missions using major tract from NASA. It called for afterhody. MACHINIST turns Little Joe II ring thrust reaction part in gap launch vehicles. Convair to design and mann- T]le main structural member lathe. Convair craftsmen are supported by modern equipment, Convair has tailored Little facture four Little Joe II launch of tim vehicle is the thrust bulk- including type-controlled numerical milling machines. Joe II design and fabrication vehicles and two launchers, head located at the lower end

: _ 1 forto meeta lowNASA'scost, reqnirementsexpendable Whiteand fnrnishSands MissilesupportRange.at the fuelof therocketafterbody.motors thatThe propelsolid- launch vehicle that is simple, In order to fulfill the NASA the vehicle are mounted in this reliable and versatile, requirements for a low-cost, bulkhead. On the initial flight, Little simple and reliable launch re- The vehicle can accommo- l Joe II willbe toppedby a Con- hicle, Convair has designed (late as many as seven - vair-designed simulation of Little Joe II around already- General motors which the proven systems and compon- have a nlaxinlnln thrust capa- Company's test Apollo pay- ents that are available on an b'lity) , ofapl)roximately7z(I,000.9 load. By using the boilerplate off-the-shelf basis, lbs. The Mercury-Atlas humch payload, engineers willbe able vehicle, for comparison, has to obtain extensive inlbrma- Little Joe II is the first launch approximately 360,000 lbs. of tion regarding the performance vehicle that is being value con- thrust. of the launch vehicle and its trolled from preliminary de- Tailnring the thrust of Little "- systems, sign to first flight. Utilization of Joe II to lit specific mission Preparations for the first the latest value engineering requirements can he easily flight have been underway at and analyzing techniques has and quickly accomplished 1)x White Sands for the past few enabled Convair to control c.hangin_ the nmnl)er and type months. The first Little Joe program cost without compro- of thesolid-fuelmotors. II launcher-also designed aud mising quality and reliabilits,. On its launcher, Little Joe II built by Convair-has already For example, Convair en- stands 4:3 t'_'ct high. The maxi- been assembled there. Launch gineers used value control and mum desi,zn height of the re- pad facilities and support e- kept in lnind tim requirement hicle and Apolh) pay'load is 95 quipment are now being in- for off-the-shelf material to feet, about as high as a nine stalled, come up with an unusual- story building. NASA TEAM inspected Little Joe II May 6. From left are MSC Early in April the two har- but extremely effective-de- The Litth* Joe I1 launcher is Deputy Director Walter C. Williams; Acting Apollo Project rel-shaped sections of the first sign feature, a steel structure supported by Manager Robert O. Piland, Convair Little Joe II Program Man- launch vehicle were test mated Little Joe II is the first lzmnch two curved rails. The launcher ager J. B. Hurt, and MSC Deputy Director James C. Elms. First at Convair. Later in May the vehicle with a corrugated skin. weighs appn)ximately 100,000 Little Joe launch vehicle and dummy Apollo capsule topped by first Little Joe II was trucked To make the skins to Convair lbs. To simplify vehicle _uid- mockup of abort tower appears behind the four men. frorn San Diego to _vVhiteSands. specification, Aluminum Corn- ante re(tuiremt'nts , the lmmch- SPACE NEWS ROUNDUP JUNE 12, 1963 PAGE 5 light To Take Place At White Sands Range In July

CONVAIR CARPENTER works on wood assembly fixture for Little Joe II bulkhead. Use of wood tools--rather than steel--resulted from value analysis recommendation. Wood serves the purpose and lowers assembly cost. The bulkhead is the main structural member. I|ll_ IIn crisdesi_ncdtoswixelthron_h tion of AMRcomplexes 11,12, ceptors. IJ|| a 14(1 dc:_,'ce ave so the vehich • 1:3 and 14. (_omplex 14 is the Other products conceived at Ill can bc >;\vun'd away [rein tile one used for manned orbital Convair led to the estahlish- Kantry and aimed down ran'dc, launches of Astronauts (?,lenn, ment of separate General Dy- UPPER BARREL-SHAPED section of first Little Joe II launch T]w launcher can I_e aimed in (_arpenter, Schirra and Cooper. namics divisions for their de- vehicle is lowered into position. The white cylinder protruding clcxation between 75 de_rees En_ineerin_ and fal)rication sign add manufacture. These from the afterbody is a chamber mock-up of a solid-fuel Algol arid a _crtical position. To ae- tasks were also assigned to include the Atlas launch ve- rocket motor. The motor is made by Aerojet General.

aim isaccurateandcotltrollable V series; Project Centaur; At- the Terrier _uided missile up to tirmetimc, las tarect for NiLe-Zeus: and (Gl)/Pomona). Little Joe I1 is tilt, first NASA tile Atlas l)ooster for Mercury, Through the years, Convair prod, rain awartlt'd to (_oll\air. It Samos, Agnes and Able-5 space in San Diego has pioneered a Ittt'_ l)t't'll _[\'t*ll a t(lp priority programs, lltlT_al)el of aircraft concepts by the Sall l)ic_o c'oulpan\ and Convair e_ gi )eering and that enabled it to design, de- ' " _ n fac.turin_ facilities-en- velop and huild the worlds eompassing three million first successful vertical take- square feet el'company-owned off fighter, the Navy XFY-1 .-- laboratory and factor) areas- Pogo: the world's first high-

bergh Field, San Diego'smuni- Navy XF2Y-1 Sea Dart; the arecipallocatedairport, adjacent to Lind- speedworld'sjet firstseaplanesupersonic,fighter, theall These facilities, valued at weather, jet interceptor, the ._ 856 million, include a large Air Force delta-wing F-102. seal)lane and overhaul test In addition, Convair has pro- facility ou San Diego Bay, just dueed more than 1,000 twin- opposite North Ishmd Naval engine transports for military Air Station and parallel to sea- and commercial use. plane takeoffand landinglanes Currently-in addition to in the hay. launch vehicle systems and as- Convair is one of iI ()per- sociated ground support sy- ating divisions of General D.v- stems-Convair is at work in namies Corporation and the the fields of manned aircraft J. H. Famme only corporate division to re- and undersea vceapon systems. MODULAR PLUG-IN units--part of instrumentation for Little President tain the word Convair as part of Convair eraftsmen are sup- Joe II-are checked at Convair. Little Joe II is scheduled for General Dynamics/Convair its name. ported by numerical, tape con- completion 14 months from the award of the contract in July. In 1961 each element of trolled fabrication equipment, a mmd_er of special produe- what was then the Convair Di- automated production systems tion s ictruards ]l_t\o I)cen vision of General Dynamics and high-speed computer fa- placcd in opcratiou to ensure was made a separate and inde- cilities. \chic'It reliability, pcudent unit of the corpora- Among the laboratories and ()he of thcsc safc_ttards is zt tion. Convair's old San Diego facilities available to Convair t traccalfiIitx _slcm. \Vith it, operatin_ di\ision became engineers are hyper,,elocity, nearly all-IAttic Ioc I1 parts- General 1)ynamics;Co wdr. supersonic and suhsonic wind cxc,, ,,uts and bolts-can be This di\ision is the home of tumwls; dynamics tests;a300 '1 immcdiatcl3 trac'cd back to the the world's fastest commercial foot tox_ing basin and test e- I sereco or raw matt'vial if in- jet airliner, the Convair 990A, quipment for surface and suh- spcction finds them faulty, with _t c'ruising speed of 621 surface vehicles; analog and .-\lthou_xh I,ittlc ,loc II is the mph, and the (:onxair 880 digital computing centers; litst launch \chic.lc dcsiww([ (614 mph/. It is also the birth- electronics; electrical; experi- Zilld l)lOlillccd }ix (it)ll\r_til ", tilt' place of important military mental data pr)cessiD_g ph',- compan) has prcxiousl3 dcm- weapon systems suchas the sits; systems dynamics and onshaic, I its aClllst)ztcc Cal)a- (]onvair F-106 clnd et inter- materials and processes. l>ilitx ol_ associated tasks. leer c\aml)]C, Illl([(q" _.111)('()II- Editor's Note: This is the sixth in a series of articles designed tract to ('.c.wral I)xn_tufics to acquaint MSC personnel withthe Center's industrialfamily, .\S[l tH lltlllics, ( i(_tb\ till \\its rc tile contractors and subcontractors who make MSC spacecraft, _p, msildc fen design and tic'- their launch vehicles ;and associated equipment. The material \clopmcltt of tl,, Atlantic Mis- on these two pa_,es was furnished by' the Public Relations INSIDE LITTLEJOE II, workers check fit of Algol rocket motor silt' [{:m,ac (.\\11{_ (iomplcx I)cpartment, (;eneral l)ynamics/Convair, chamber mockup. Launch vehicle can accommodate seven of '3(5.\, and design amt nlodific'a- the solid-fuel Algols, which can generate 720,000 Ibs. thrust. PAGE 6 JUNE 12, 1963 SPACE NEWS ROUNDUP

The SPACE NEWS ROUNDUP, an official publi- WELCOME M $ C P E R S 0 N A L I T Y

caNatiotionnal of AerothenauticsManned and SpacecrafSpace t Administra-Center, ABOARD Holland-Born Andre J. Meyer tion, Houston, Texas, is published for MSC personnel by the Public Affairs Office. Over120newemployeesHas 20 Years With NASA-NACA joined MSC between May '26 Born in Rotterdam, Holland, MSC's chief of the Project Director ...... Robert R. Gilruth and June 5, all but 11 of them Administration Office, Project Gemini, is Andre J. Meyer, Jr. Public Affairs Officer ...... John A. Powers here in Houston. This year is Meyer's 20th of continuous NACA-NASA service. Chief, Internal Communications . Ivan D. Ertel Preflight Operations Dirt- His parents immigrated to Editor ...... Anne T. Corey sion (Cape Canaveral): Arthur the United States early in his L. Arnold, Edward E. Wright, life, settling in Detroit, and Jr., PaulK. Burdime,and Raoul later in Lexington, Ky. As a

Flight Operations Division: planes, and designed and build Janie M. Plunkett, Eugene J. a working model of a five- Langenfield, James J. Taylor, cylinder rotary aircraft engine. Joseph W. Hall, Charley B. Before he had finished col- Parker, Daryl R. Lostak, Bed- lege at the University of Ken- ford F. Cockrell, LarryJ. Mee- tucky, where he received a ker, David E. Jungbauer, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineer- Elric N. McHenry. ing in 1943, Meyer had already White Sands Missile Range put in nine months as a work- Operations: Carl F. Radwan- ing toolmaker, nearly a >.'ear ski, Melton M. Aldridge, How- as a part-time draftsman in an ard W. Feindel, Donald D. airplane engine company, and Kingsbury, and Paul S. Sullen- six months as instructor of a _ i _ berger, collegeordnanceclass.

Logistics Division: Leo Nic- Immediately after gradua- Andre J. Meyer, Jr. hols, John A. Carlins, Rene E. tion, Meyer went to work at Zedekar, Myron M. Hendirck- NACA's Aircraft Engine Re- oplnent of root fastenings suit- son, and James E. Mikus. search Laboratory in Cleve- ahle for hrittle turbine blade Personnel Division: Pene- land, which later heeame materials, and the develop- lope Elling, James E. Zema- Lewis Research Center, in ment of several novel air- nek, Betty J. Moore, Nancy E. engine and propeller vibration cooled tu,'bine blade designs Williford, John B. Merryman, research work. with goo(I cooling character- Ben J. Brookman, Jr., Wilfred Meyer became head of the istics and high reliability. He S. Litzler, Jamie S. Penny, Stress and Vibration Section in authored some :33 technical Susan P. Davenport, William 195"2, was made an assistant papers and received four L. Gotcher, Jr., Rebecca A. branch chief when the section patents for inventi Research Center James D. Bozeman, Robert F. research in the vibration of working with tile group that "Which one of you is in charge?" Beckman, Lenora F. Guin, rotary engine parts was parti- was later to form Space Task A Harvard College astronomer says if Mars is Jesse M. Walker, Karen K. eularly noteworthy. Group. In July of 1959, he Meigs, Diane L. Farman, and transferred officially from inhabited, its life must look something like a cross Leroy Fair. His contributions included a Lewis to Space Task Group as between a unicorn, an elephant and a bear. Mercury Project Office: Wal- slip ring system which he de- But, Dr. Donald H. Menzel believes, the possibility ter M. Winnette, Jr. veloped for measuring vibra- assistant chief of the Engineer- of such life is very remote. Gemini Project Office: Regi- tory stresses in rotating parts, sion,ing andcoordinatingSpecificationstile nmnitor-Divi- Because of the physical nature of the planet, Dr. nald M. Machell, and Dwayne the invention of a coil pick-up ing of contracts for Project Menzel says, a typical Martian would have an elong- L. Forsythe(St. Louis, Mo.) with no moving parts for mea- Mercury and aiding in the Apollo Project OffÉce: Vera suring vibration in axial flow direction of the design engi- ated head with elephant-like ears and nose so he M. Bueseher, Edward E. Lat- compressor blades, the devel- neering staff and contract could hear and smell in the rarefied atmosphere, tier, Jr., Charles A. Roden- sion: James E. Davis, and Kent engineering staff. Except for a The Martian would need a chest big as a bear's to berger, and Diantha Davis. M. Johnston. month with Project Apollo, breathe, Dr. Menzel said, and he would need an an- Flight Crew Operations Di- Financial Management Di- Meyer worked with Mereur> tenna to communicate. The creature, he added,would vision: Paul G. Hirseh, John vision: Leonard J. Pizalate, until he was transferred to move on spindly legs and webbed feet. W. O'Neill, William M. Ander- Ronald C. Kline, and Clara L. Project Gemini with his pre- Spacepm_News son, David D. Lang, James E. Ingleberger. sent title in April, 1962. He _ _ Nelson, and Valerie D. Eber- Systems Evaluation and De- was instrumental in drawing wein. velopment Division: Glenna up tile specifications of the From Cape Canaveral comes word of a new type of Crew Systems Division: T. Heggie, Eva]] B. Pappas, Mercury heat shield, the combination badge and identification card which Roger N. Tanner, Eugene S. Clinton M. _vVagoner, Jerry D. structural (lesign for the space- incorporates a color photograph of the wearer. They Nitsch, LeongW. Lew, Hughes Coffey, and Robert E. McElya. era|} and its hardware and the are reported ideal for identification of the men-but M. Zenor, Phillip G. Hoffman, Administrative Services Di- design of the escape towe," and Jr., Charles N. Crews, and vision: Audrey L. Swisher, parachute svsteln. He' is co- some prol)lems are cropping up where the women are Martin Devrobner. Gerald M. Hurley, Francine J. holder of three separate patents concerned. "We've already heard of one case where Spacecraft Technology Dirt- Dlouhy, and Gwendolyn K. on the Mercury designs. the hair color has gone from brown to pink," said a start: Robert H. Lamb, Robert Morgan. Married to the former Lo- security man ruefully. M. Greenburg, John E. De Space Environment Dirt- raine Landrus of Lexington, It is hoped that other physical characteristics, listed Fife, Donald M. Curry, Jerry sion: David E. Pitts, and Jerry Ky. Meyer is the father of twin on the back of the card, will change more graduallv. C. Smithson, Harriet C. Hat- W. Reed>,. girls, Maril>'n Lou and ('arolvn , _ " cher, Dannie C. Barclay, Wil- Computation and Data Re- Ann, 19; and two boys, An(ire limn R. Hammock, Jr. William duction Division: David D. V, 16 and Bruce Allen, 13. Call it either innocent helpfulness or a pretty wry W. MeMahon, John F. Burg- Bland, Jr., Walter A. Bollfrass, Marilyn is taking nursing at wisecrack. Anyhow , among the several thousand fan land, James J. Kotanchik, and Alexandra E. Wynnezok, the Memorial Baptist Hospital letters pouring into Cape Canaveral for Astronaut Jack S. Keggins. Nancy E. Earle, and Anthony it] Houston and Carolyn was Gordon Cooper are a number of packages. One of Procurement and Contracts J. Coumelis. last yea" named Outstanding Division: Jacqueline A. Pound, Technical Services Division: Freshinan of the Year at the them contained a complete diesel filter, in apparent Cynthia J. Martin, Jeanene Rodney P. Kaufhold, and Ma- University of Houston, where reference to the balky deisel engine which refused to Harville, Helen M. Fagnana, rion R. Zedekar. she is it] a special advanced move the Pad 14 gantry back during the one-day delay Judith A. Woodward, Mary L. Photographic Services Dirt- class of the top 25 students. in Cooper's flight. Summers, Nancy L. Middleton, sion: Walter D. Hanhy. Meyer's hohhy, which began * * * and Stephen M. Newman. Facilities Division: David with a mineral collection in his Casey Stengal, the beloved ageless-wonder man- Security Division: Sherry A. M. McStravick. boyhood, is gem-cutting, bnt ager of the New York Mets, expressed real concern Hicks, Polly J. Windle, Judith Ground Systems Project he says he hasn't had much C. McDaniell, Paula Ann Office: Robert T. Voigt. time to do anything except recently (luring Astronaut Cooper's flight. Said he, Stricklin, Sandra A. Pace, and Public Affairs Office Dow- collect materials latelv. Ite "Does that fella get meal money while he's traveling Judith C. McDaniel. ney, Calif.: Edward A. Orze- also likes I)oating and "taking up there?" Technical Information Divi- chowski, the boys fishing. SPACE NEWS ROUNDUP JUNE 12, 1963 PAGE 7

ASTRONAUT WALTER M. SCHIRRAtakes a piece of wild pork from a roasting stick as part of his ASTRONAUT JAMES LOVELL gives n boa constrictor the once- first jungle meal as the other 15 astronauts dig in. The flight crew took four days of jungle over at the U. S. Carribean Air Command Tropical Survival survival training at the U. S. Carribean Air Command's Tropical Survival School in the Panama School. Two of the snakes ran free in the classroom in which the Canal Zone. Following classroom instruction the crew spent three days in the jungle itself, astronauts received their initial lectures. (See story, page 8.)

BidsCorps Onof MerrittEngineersIslandCallsVABFor Eight Astronauts Practice Troubled

En_dincThet'rs U. S.has Armycall'cd Corpsfor bidsof anverticallyupright topositionlaunch andpadsmovedsev- Moon Landing Well In Advance on ore, c_mstruction project eral miles away. COIIIICC'tc;i with NASA's Sat- Eight of NASA's astronauts were "flying" a unique simulator at Ling-Temco-Vonght in Dallas Estimated cost of the steel last month to study well in advance the problem of what to do should the Apollo lunar excur- plexurn VatMoollMerrittexploraIstiland.on corn-The work is 832 million. Subse- sion module's primary . guidance system. fail during the vehicle's descent to the moon and the project has a price ta_ esti- quent contracts will call for landing have to be abandoned. mated at S33.5 million, foundation preparation, out- They're working on manual berglass structure surrounding there seems to be no doubt an The larger contract calls fitting the Vertical Assembly procedures and instrument tim simulator, astronaut can manually accom- for furnishing and erecting Building, and other phases of display data which may be Astronauts participating in plish the landing abort, launch the structural steel for the construction on the massive needed to cope with thatemer- the study include M. Scott and intercept mission in the l,aunch Complex :39 Vertical complex, gency in LTV's Manned Space Carpenter and Walter M. event the LEM primary guid- Assembly Building, a 524- Bids will be opened June 25 Flight Simulator-a maneuver- Schirra, Jr. of the original ance system should fail," foot-tall structure where the on the steel erection part of ing, ground-based device seven astronauts and Nell A. Schaezler said. "He can use Saturn V will be assembled in the job. which can simulate numerous Armstrong, James A. MeDivitt, any one of several intercept phases of space missions in- Elliott M. See, Jr., Edward H. techniques and perform his eluding launch, orbit, rendez- "From flights conducted, miss/on successfully." ,]I_I_..,__;_L vous, earth and lunar land-

' _" :. ings and inanv- other. _ ,, Contract for the study was awarded by Manned Spacecraft Center and totals approxi- "_ _ i mately $100,000.

the lunar landing vehicle's i- _ ,i primaryThe LTVguidancestudy assumessystem hasthata failure on its approach to the

use manual control to abort the landing and intercept and re- 7 \'2 join the command module. _2 __ moonAs theand theastronautastronautsflies mustthe

, C,{ mission,sentation heof seesthe alunarmovinghorizonpre- and star field and the orbiting target "vehicle" he is attempt- ing to intercept and rejoin. Using the cockpit instruments and these references, he can follow the path of the target _ :" { vehicle and accomplish the i intercept in the most efficient manner for a given circum- stance. ! " The external visual cues such as the star field and target are provided by means of com- i puter-controlled projectors which move in relation to the i - simulated space vehicle's po- MORGAN SMITH, Director of the Tropic Survival School at AI- ASTRONAUT GUS GRISSOM plays Napoleon in a palm rain hat, sition and attitude, These dis- brook AFfl, chats with Astronauts Gordon Cooper (center) and one of the survivol aids the astronauts were taught to make play the moving images on the Alan Shepard (right) as another primate tries to interrupt. The from jungle materials during their four-day course, inMde of a large spherical fi- school keeps a collection of animals, caged and otherwise. PAGE 8 JUNE 12, 1963 SPACE NEWS ROUNDUP

SECOND FRONT PAGE Space Technology Laboratory To Build LEM Descent Engine Tile Grunnnan Aircraft Engineering Corporation, contracted by Matured Spacecraft Center to build the Lunar landing vehicle in which two U. S. Astronauts will descend to the nroon's surface, has ,mined Space Technology Laboratory to develop the lunar descentandhmdingengine. 2e" A divisionof Thomason- "- _ ,.i Westinghouse Gets Ramo-Wooldridge Corpora- ,ion, STL was selected by Centrifuge Drive Crumman as a result of colnpe- titian. System Contract The lunar excursion module (LEM) of Project Apollo will Manned Spacecraft Center detach from the Apollo space- has awarded a definitized con- craft orbiting around the ninon, tract estimated at $949,0(X) to and will slowly descend to its the Westinghouse Electrie Cor- surface. A TAPIR gazes back at an audience of interested astronauts from the serenity of his pool, as poration for the desi_,m and de- Two approaches to develop- Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr. makes friends with another tropical animal, a peccary. Both livery of the nlain drive systeiu lnent of the descent and land- species are found in the jungle. (More pictures, page 7.) of the flight acceleration fa- ing engine for the LEM are

Clcilityear Laketo hesite.built at MSC's apingbeing anpursued.engine STLwith isa ten-to-devel- Motion Simulator Three Days In Panama Jungle The system is dne to be in- one mechanical throttling To Test Astronaut stalled by mid-May, 1964. range, while Rocketdyne-a Vibration Reaction Teach Astronauts To Survive The main drive motor and division of the North American three-unit motor generators Aviation Corporation-was A six-degree-of-motion sire- set and switch gear will be recently selected by Grumman ulator will be installed at The 16 astronauts spent two nights and three days in till" fabricated at Westhinghouse's to develop a gas injection Wright Patterson Air Force jungles of Panama last week, part of a first-hand course in Large Rotating Apparatus Di- scheme for throttling. The Base, Dayton, Ohio next year jungle survival that began with class roonl lectm'es at the U. S. vision, East Pittsburgh, Penn- parallel development program to test astronauts' reactions to Carribean Air Command's Tropical Survival School, Albrook sylvania, and its Research and will continue for approximately the severe vibrations of launch AFB, Panama Canal Zone. Development Center, Pit,s- a year before a decision will be and reentry. They spent their three-day sions planned hit the future, l)urgh, made between the two devel- The tests are designed to trek separated into two-man missions which will reltuire a The flight acceleration con- opment approaches. The find out more about the taler- teams, completely out of sight spacecraft to fly over a greater trol system will be fabricated selected method will go into ance of the astronauts to some or hailing distance of each land area of the earth's surface. at the Westinghouse Phmt in production lnodelsofthe LEM. actual flight conditions, other. One instructor was as- There js a remote possibility Bnfl\do, New York. The simulator study was signed to monitor the activities that a spacecraft wouhl have to MSC will use the flight ac- ered in space flight, conceived after the discovery of each two teams, by radio, make an emergency lauding m celeration facility for crew The main drive motor will of severe linear and angular The group experienced pri- a tropical area. training, for equipment de- provide power to rotate a 50- oscillations during the launch mitive existanee, dressed only The course of instructio,1 velopment mad test and hio- foot arm at the end of which and re-entry of space vehicles, in boots and king underwear, was presented by H. Morgan medical testing under g-loads will be fixed gondolas for men low-altitude aircraft flight, the garb they would wear in Smith, Director of the Tropic equivalent to those enconnt- or equipment. (Continued on Page 3) the event of a jungle landing. Survival School, and his staff (Pressure suits would have to and included classroom in- be discarded alter such a land- struction on a variety of suh- ing.) jects. The astronauts learned to identify poisonous tropical The group was taught to live plants, their locations, safety on plants, fruits and animal precautions and first aid; iden- life which they recognized as tification of edible plants and edible. They slept in shelters fruit, location, and method of erected from jungle materials preparation prior to eating; and each team constructed a identification of animals, rep- raft made of vines and tiles and birds in the tropics, branches. Each man was re- their habits, location, likeli- quired to build and set a trap hood of attack, pahltahilitv, and and construct and try a ham- safety precautions. mock. The oathso also inchldcd W'ater purification, fishing instruction on indigelmus and hunting also came into people in the tropic areas, their jungle experiences, native customs, native toads The initial part of the four- and the proper method of day course was conducted in approaching these people, en- classrooms at Albrook AFB. listing their aid, and commu- When the groups headed into nicating with them. the jungle Tuesday of last _ week, they were accompanied by four other MSC personnel; Engineers working on the Dr. George B. Smith and James huge Saturn at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Barnett of Crew Systems Divi- sion and Ray Zedekar and Bud Center report that tile "'hahy'" of the family, the Saturn I, has ,ionsReam Division.of Flight Crew Opera- ahont three-quarters of at mile of welds. Tile Saturn \" Apollo The trip marked the first moon rocket, now in design, RELEASEDMAY 22 at the Aviation/Space Writers Association conference in Dallas, this new time that the astronauts have will have ahont one and one- cutaway drawing of the Apollo spacecraft in its latest configuration is first to show the highly received tropic survival train- half miles. sophisticated "cryogenic storage subsystem" installation in the . Designed and ing, and the first time all 16 Rocket tanks are nlade of built by Beech Aircraft Corporation for North American Aviation's Space and Information have gone through a training fiat sheet metal, wehled to- theSystemsheartDivision,of the principalenvironmentalApollo cospacecraftntrol andcontractor,electric powtheercrysyogenicstems.storageIt storesus,bscoystemntrolsformands program together, gether and formed into cvl- dellvers--from an ultra-cold liquid to a gaseous state--the oxygen and hydrogen required for Tropical survival training is inders. Every inch of weld re- life support and power generating equipment during long Apollo missions. Experimental deemed necessary because of quires intensive inspection, models of Beech subsystem i:omponents have already undergone intensive testing by the firm. the longer space flight mis- usually by X-ray techniques.